The real villains, of course, are the dragons themselves, and they look very good here. One of the most exciting sequences is when Van Zan's team demonstrates their method for killing dragons. It involves a helicopter and a trio of skydivers armed with nets. I have some quibbles with the practicality of these methods (the dragon in this scene is eventually dispatched with by more conventional means), but it gives the movie a chance to showcase the dragons in flight high among the clouds. It's a great action scene and is also emblematic of the unique visual sense of the film.
The film ends up bringing to mind a number of different genres through the set design and plot. The dragons are obviously a fantasy element, and this is reinforced by the refugees choosing a medieval castle as their home for defense. With the grey landscape and the plethora of ash covering both buildings and people, you at times feel like you're watching a coal mining drama. This resemblance is also brought to mind by the group's use of a stationary hawk (just as miners used canaries to detect gas leaks) as a warning signal that a dragon is approaching. Also, the images of British women and children going deep underground during attacks have shades of London during the Blitz to them. WWII also comes easily to mind as we watch the British and Americans band together to fight a common enemy.
The finale didn't have the punch I was hoping for in terms of excitement, but this was made up for by all that came before. This is a very solid end-of-the-world fantasy film, and very distinctive from the many other entries in the genre. And, acting wise, it features a pair of men who are willing to go all the way for the success of a project, much like the characters they portray.
Eight out of Ten
Alonzo of Acrentropy
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